IT cannot be denied that the face of policing is rapidly changing.

Budget cuts have caused the loss of more than 2,000 officers from the West Yorkshire force alone since 2010.

And, although it is now, at long last, able to lift a recruitment freeze with a view to adding 600 new officers, there will remain a substantial reduction in its ranks.

Police chiefs argue that investments in technology, like handheld electronic devices, has gone someway to counteract that by allowing officers to spend more time on the beat and less time in the office.

And they add that technology is also causing a diminishing need for “face-to-face contact”.

But, despite all this, there remains a clear public perception that the blue line is being worn dangerously thin.

Now, the force is urging us to tell it why and how we want to contact officers in a bid to help further shape the future.

And, perhaps worryingly, among the questions posed is how often have you recently visited your local police station or public inquiry counter?

There would be huge public concern if this was a prelude to a closure programme of police stations.

Take the reaction in Keighley, for example, where the future of the town’s police station remains uncertain, as a measure of the importance people place on having a permanent and manned base on their doorsteps.

Surely public reassurance is a key role of any police force? Both now and into the future.

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